Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाय हविष्यान्नं दातव्यं वैष्णवैर्नरैः । एवं पञ्चदिनं यावत्कर्तव्यं व्रतमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāya haviṣyānnaṃ dātavyaṃ vaiṣṇavairnaraiḥ | evaṃ pañcadinaṃ yāvatkartavyaṃ vratamuttamam

Translation

வைஷ்ணவ ஆண்கள் பிராமணருக்கு ஹவிஷ்ய அன்னத்தைத் தானமாக அளிக்க வேண்டும். இவ்விதமாக ஐந்து நாட்கள் வரை இந்த உத்தம விரதத்தைச் செய்ய வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇāya: to a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• haviṣyānnam: haviṣya-food (ritual simple food)
• haviṣyānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haviṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (haviṣyaṃ annaṃ)

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) → dātavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय—'to be given'

• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: by Vaiṣṇavas
• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/कर्ता-समूह), बहुवचन

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'vaiṣṇavaiḥ naraiḥ' = by Vaiṣṇava men

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• pañca-dinam: for five days
• pañca-dinam: Kāla-adhikarana (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (काल-परिमाण), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—'पञ्च दिनानि' (five days)

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikarana (Limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि) — as long as/until

• kartavyam: should be performed
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय—'to be done'

• vratam: vow/observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'vratam' इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vaiṣṇava pilgrim-householder offers a simple haviṣya meal to a seated brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha precinct; vessels of plain rice/khicṛī, water-pot, tulasī, and a small lamp indicate vow-observance over five days.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Haviṣyānna
• Vaiṣṇava
• Bhīṣma-pañcaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through service and giving; feeding the worthy during a vow elevates the observance into lived dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single place is specified in this verse; it describes a vrata practice within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer haviṣya food to a brāhmaṇa and continue the vow in this way for five days.